Today's flag of
Bangladesh was introduced on the 25th of January, 1972. It shows on dark green ground a
red disk, somewhat off centre to the left. On 26th of March 1971, the day of independence,
a similar flag was initially hoisted. The red disk was positioned exactly in the centre of
the flag, and contained in its centre a simplified golden map of Bangladesh.

On the 25th of January in 1972, according to
other sources on 13th of January 1972, this flag was changed to its present form, probably
due to production-technological difficulties. The flag was created by Serajul Alam
("light of the flag"). Green is the color of Islam, but also stands for the
green countryside, and red symbolizes the blood given for the independence. The disk is
the sun of freedom. The colours green and red probably go back to flag flown during a
revolt in the thirties in Chittagong. Bangladesh is orientated in the British
Ensign-System. This points to the connexion to Great Britain.

On Independence Day a
flag resembling the coat of arms of the state of that time. It also contained the golden
map on a red disk. The disk had a silvery border with four stars as well as an
inscription.

The coat of arms
of 1972 is also round, however, of singular gold. Within a circle appears above waves
(they stand for the waters of the rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra) the stylized
representation of a sea rose (resp. water lily). It is the the national plant. Above the
blossom of the sea rose are visible four five-pointed stars, as well as leafs of the jute
tree (resp. tea leafs) and one rice ear on either side (resp. Padi ear). The four stars
represent the political principles of the state: nationalism, democracy, Islamic
socialism, and confession to Islam. According to other sources, they stand for:
nationalism, democracy, socialism and secularism.

The delta of the River
Ganges was named in the Old Indian language "Banga". The name of the landscape
has transfered to the here living people => "Bangla", the
"Bengali". "Bangla" is Hindustani (Hindi) and means nothing other as
"Bengali". Because of that "Bangladesh" means: "Country of the
Bengali".

In 1974 members of the
Chakma, a Buddhist ethnic group, began an armed struggle for autonomy against the foreign
infiltration by bengali settlers into the Chittagong Hill Tracts. During the struggle a
separate state was proclaimed.
In 1993 the Chakma and Bangladesh came to an agreement about the return of refugees, and
in 1997 followed a peace agreement, which gave the Chittagong Hill Tracts extensive
autonomy. The battles have indeed subsided, however, the situation remains tense.